Photo by MANDEL NGAN / AFP via Getty Images
The US Department of Energy is awarding $2.8 billion in grants from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to shore up domestic battery manufacturing and mineral production, the White House announced Wednesday. The Biden administration is also launching a new government-wide initiative to strengthen supply chains to support electric vehicle manufacturing.
It was the latest move by President Biden to support the shift from polluting gas-powered cars to emissions-free electric vehicles, with the goal of making 50 percent of all new cars sold in 2030 electric. And it comes as automakers, mining officials, and environmentalists have sounded a warning about the US supply of key minerals needed to fuel the EV boom.
The DOE grants will go to 20…